After 13 years of classes, extracurricular activities, and annoying homework assignments, it’s finally here: your senior year of high school! You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished and excited about the next phase of your life. A senior portrait session is the perfect way to commemorate this milestone and capture the whirlwind of emotion that comes with it.

High schools usually have a yearbook photographer available, and typically offer senior portrait sessions sometime in the summer or around the start of the school year. That being said, you might wonder why you should ask your parents to dole out the extra money—or why they so adamantly want to—for a professional photographer for your senior photos.

Hiring a professional guarantees that your senior portrait experience will be fun and rewarding and leave you with a gorgeous representation of your adolescent years. Consider these reasons why the investment in a professional senior photographer is an investment in yourself and a timeless high school keepsake!

Celebrate your achievements!

You’re about to graduate high school—that’s something to celebrate! You’ve been working towards this for most of your life so far, and you deserve to reward yourself for how far you’ve come. A portrait session dedicated to doing just that is a great experience for a high school senior that yields a tangible memento to mark the occasion.

A professional photographer will customize your portrait experience to who you are and how you want to present yourself. The cheap high school yearbook shutterbug doesn’t care who you are or how you feel, he just wants to get through as many student snapshots as he can in the shortest span of time so he can pack up and go. That’s not how you want to be remembered, or how you want to remember your senior photo session.

In a portrait session with a pro, the experience and its products are all about you. This is a chance to express your personality and document how you feel about graduating, and who you were when you did it. Give yourself some credit and honor the wonderful, intricate person you’ve become!

Ensure you get professional quality products.

Senior year is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and so are your senior portraits. Don’t risk ending up with something you’ll look back on and cringe when you see the poor lighting reflect off of the dead-eyed smile someone haphazardly decided was the best representation of you.

You want somebody with the skills and technology to bring out your best, most refined self—and the passion to put in the time and effort to do it. A trained photographer knows how to find the best light and identify the best moments to capture in order to portray who you really are. They’ll help guide you into the most flattering, natural poses and expressions to channel your personality and make you look beautiful. They pay attention to the details that transform your photos from ordinary senior portraits into artwork.

A professional photographer can also offer expert hair and makeup services to help you get the look and emulate the style you like best. You’ll end up with a versatile selection of photos to choose from, instead of just five portraits of you at slightly different angles. More products will be available to ensure you and your loved ones are getting exactly what you want—like regular prints, albums, fine art prints, canvas, and even unique gift options.

Take the stress out of the experience.

High school seniors are busy—and so are their parents! There are colleges to tour, applications to fill out, final season games to attend, and so much more going on senior year that takes up the majority of your time and energy. When you schedule a senior portrait session with a professional, you have one less thing to worry about.

A professional photographer will work with you to set aside a time for senior portraits that fits into your schedule. You won’t have to worry about moving things around to make one of the designated times the school photographer is offering sessions. Once the appointment is scheduled, you won’t have to concern yourself with any of the details either. Just bring the clothes you feel most comfortable and genuine in, and your photographer will to the rest.

There’s no need to stress about whether you’ll look good in your senior picture, or if you’ll like how it turns out. A professional knows how to help you work the camera and will have a hefty batch of shots for you and your parents to choose from. Their job is to work with you to bring out your best, most beautiful self, to ensure you’re happy with the result.

Your senior portrait should be a break from the hectic demands of daily life. Take a break from the stress and have fun! Let yourself be carefree and laid back, and your pictures are sure to reflect it.

Call Stefanie Lynn Photography today to schedule a senior portrait session that will make you look and feel like the dazzling man or woman that you are!